ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · spring · bass · game · ball · file · fork · press

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bass — low music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stock — shares
  9. file — a tool
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ball — a dance
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spring — of water
  18. game — a match
  19. ball — a great time
  20. file — a document
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. game — wild animals
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com